Sodium Tellurite as a Mild and Selective Oxidizing Agent for Thiols: Its Use in the One-Pot Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Disulfides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.65.626

Sodium tellurite acts as a mild and highly selective oxidizing agent for thiols under phase-transfer conditions at room temperature.Aromatic and benzylic thiols are rapidly converted to disulfides.Short-chain primary thiols undergo oxidation in preference to long-chain thiols.Secondary thiols are sluggish in oxidation and tertiary thiols remain intact.No overoxidation of the sulfur atom is observed.Similar results are also obtained with sodium tellurate.